The new and distinct short-day strawberry plant variety of the present invention was the product of a controlled breeding program that was carried out at Nova Siri (MT) Italy located at 40° 08′ 40″ N-16° 39′ 40″ E and 10 meters above sea level. The female parent (i.e., the seed parent) was the ‘Siris’ cultivar (non-patented in the United States and European Application No. 34843), a strawberry plant variety with medium late-season yield and ability to produce fruits with very high sugar content and presenting a high tolerance to infection by Pytophthora Cactorum and Colletotrichun Acutatum in plants as well in fruits, and the male parent (i.e., pollen parent) was the ‘Margherita’ cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat, No. 25,638, filed Jul. 3, 2013 and EU No. 2012/1378), a strawberry variety with high early-season yield, and ability to produce very high yield and very large primary and secondary fruits. The parentage of the new cultivar can be summarized as follows:‘Siris’×‘Margherita’.
The seeds resulting from the pollination were sown and small plants were obtained which were physically different from each other. Selective study and testing resulted in the identification of a single plant of the new variety.
The new variety initially was designated 488xf-11-03.
It was found that the new short-day strawberry cultivar of the present invention displays the following combination of characteristics:                (a) exhibits a semi-dense semi-upright growth habit,        (b) displays on an early basis white inflorescence at a level generally above the foliage,        (c) commonly displays a calyx that is slightly larger than the diameter of the corolla when open,        (d) forms in abundance attractive early-ripening large medium red primarily conical to slightly rhomboid fruit having firm flesh that is longer than broad in configuration, and        (e) have a high tolerance to infection by Colletotricum acutatum.         
The new variety of the present invention can be readily distinguished from previously known strawberry cultivars including the ‘Sabrosa’ cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,558) as indicated in detail hereafter. The comparative ‘Sabrosa’ plants described herein were obtained commercially in Italy.
The new variety possesses characteristics that commonly are sought by commercial strawberry growers. The substantially uniform attractive firm medium red early-ripening fruit is provided in good yields. Accordingly, the new cultivar is considered to be a promising new plant for commercial introduction.
The new variety requires an induction period for flowering. This can be achieved by growing in a colder climate away from the equator or at a higher altitude above sea level.
During observation to date no particular disease sensitivity for the new cultivar has been observed.
The new variety has been asexually reproduced by the use of stolons at Ochla, Poland located at 51° 848 N-15° 447 E and at Nova Siri (MT) Italy, and by in vitro tissue culture. No rooting problems were encountered. The combination of characteristics exhibited by the new plant has been found to be stable and is reliably transmitted to succeeding generations following such asexual reproduction. Accordingly, the new variety reproduces true-to-type manner by such asexual reproduction.
The new plant variety has been named ‘Melissa’.